Raymond Jude Archer
Raymond Jude Archer is a Jesuit who lives in the village of Edina, in Minnesota. Biography Early Life Raymond was born in the small community of Edina, Minnesota, in 2258. Time as a Trader (2274) At the age of sixteen, Ray began to frequently visit the depressing ruins of Minneapolis to trade with the residents of Riverside. The caravans of Edina were rarely attacked when passing through St. Louis Park's and Minneapolis's ruins, since the Edinan traders were remarkable fighters. But being renown soldiers did not give them free passage to and from Riverside without occasionally doing battle with the Millers, a bandit faction based in an Old World factory. Ray, who had never seen combat, was ambushed while traveling with a caravan in the bright streets of the old city. After the initial onset, the Edinans were pushed into a partially destroyed building, holding out to the numerically superior Millers. Over the course of five hours, several Miller attempts to storm the trader-occupied building ended in deadly failure. But by midday, the Edinans began to run out of ammo. Due to the caravan leader's orders, the group held their position, with no ammo. Ray escaped the impending slaughter, by crawling through a collapsed air vent and outside. He slung his R91 Assault Rifle over his back and ran from the site. Without rations, he knew he'd die. He didn't bother returning to Edina, as abandoning a position was punishable by death. After wandering for hours, he discovered a devout religious faction in the ancient Basilica of Saint Mary, called the Jesuit Order. He was taken in by them. Time as a Jesuit (2274-2277) Raymond studied the Old World religion of Catholicism deeply, reading every single book (of which there were thirteen) thoroughly for three years. The Order had come under increasing attack from the Millers, and so delegates were sent to Riverside Plaza to discuss an alliance to bring down the raiders.. Ray, being a former guard for caravans, volunteered to tag along. After the Jesuits arrived at the Plaza, the talking began. What was agreed on was that the Millers had to be exterminated. The Order also promised medical support if the Plazans gave the Jesuits weapons and armor. Thr deal was sealed, and the two factions began working on ways to end the Millers. A series of ambushes, skirmishes, and small battles followed. After a week of this, the Millers had been pushed back to their home. Not fit for defending the Mill City Museum, they abandoned their home and escaped into St. Paul as soon as they could. The museum was taken, and it's contents looted. Ray, after the short war, asked the Plazans about the Edinan trade caravans. They revealed not a single trader from Edina had appeared in Riverside for two years. He was probably presumed dead by his town, and would surprise them. He gained permission from the head priest and traveled south to his home. After a week of travel and an ambush by raiders, he arrived at Edina, finding it like the way it was - full of activity. Several guards, however, apprehended Archer and brought him to the center of the town, a building that had been a church. He was brought to a well-built man with greying hair. When the man looked at Ray, his faced turned to disbelief, and so did Ray's - the son and the father were reunited. The older Archer, named Cain, ordered the soldiers to drop Ray and return to their posts. Cain was surprised. "How are you not dead, son?" he asked, amazed. Ray told him the whole story of the ambush, his escape, and his survival with the church. After Cain learned his son had been converted, his face darkened. After a brief but heated argument about religion, Cain smacked his son to the ground. "Our socialist heroes, the Comrades' League, liberated us two years ago. After they complete their business at the old airport, we shall march on Minneapolis. You will be exterminated, along with your fucking lowly order. We're superior to you stupid fucks. Get the hell out of my city." Battle of Edina (2277) After Raymond returned to Minneapolis and warned the locals, it was decided an assault on Edina was needed. St. Louis Park had been occupied by the Comrades' League, but each day, bandit and citizen insurgents battled the leftist's troops, causing casualties to mount. Raymond united Minneapolis factions into one main coalition, with huge success. He, the leader of the coalition, decided to skip around St. Louis Park and attack Edina directly, to cut-off Comrades in SLP and to return Edina to it's return. Two weeks later, the attacking force was in position. Edina had 50 defenders; they were outnumbered three to one. Ray's surprise attack quickly overwhelmed the socialist defenders. Cain and twenty other men surrendered. "Execute them. Leave my father." Ray commanded. The young enemy troops began to panic, and some tried to escape, but they were gunned down. The rest accepted their fate, and were lined up and shot. "Gather the townsfolk..." Raymond commanded. forcing his dad to the city square. When the citizens were gathered, Cain, who was begging for life, was executed by his son. The horrifying killing of Cain burned into their memory, Edinan citizens denounced socialism and promised a return to the old ways. Ray became the new leader of Edina, and over the course of three weeks, commanded his forces to defend from two large Comrade assaults. Successfully destroying the enemy units, Edina was free, as Chairman Joseph Palach of the League gave up on the expansion. St. Louis Park Expedition (2277) After defeating the Comrades' League in Edina, Raymond decided to fund raiders and residents waging guerilla warfare against the League in exchange for free passage of trade caravans to and from Edina through St. Louis. Most factions agreed, but the St. Louis Sluggers, the largest and most powerful bandit faction in the city, sided with the Comrades. The unceasing street-fighting claimed dozens of lives each week. Two months after the Battle of Edina, the Comrades in SLP finally deserted their posts, due to being cut-off from Richfield and numbering only twenty men. The Sluggers decided to rush the war-weary residents of SLP and conquer the city. Category:Characters